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No One Has Learned The Meaning Of Living Until He Has Surrendered His Ego To The Service Of His Fellow Man. Service To Others Is Akin To Duty, The Fulfillment Of Which Brings True Joy.

-Thomas S. Monson

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No One Has Learned

Thomas S. Monson

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No One Has Learned The Meaning Of Living Until He Has Surrendered His Ego To The Service Of His Fellow Man. Service To Others Is Akin To Duty, The Fulfillment Of Which Brings True Joy.

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Each Of Our Temples Is An Expression Of Our Testimony That Life Beyond The Grave Is As Real And As Certain As Is Our Life Here On Earth.

I Wasn't With Joseph, But I Believe Him. My Faith Did Not Come To Me Through Science, And I Will Not Permit So-called Science To Destroy It.

…faith Forged In The Furnace Of Trials And Tears Is Marked By Trust And Testimony. Only God Can Count The Sacrifice; Only God Can Measure The Sorrow; Only God Can Know The Hearts Of Those Who Serve Him.

Physically Walking Where Jesus Walked Is Less Important Than Walking As He Walked.

How Does One Magnify A Calling? Simply By Performing The Service That Pertains To It.

Now, Some Of You May Be Shy By Nature, Perhaps Feeling Yourselves Inadequate To Respond Affirmatively To A Calling. Remember That This Work Is Not Yours And Mine Alone. It Is The Lord's Work, And When We Are On The Lord's Errand, Brethren, We Are Entitled To The Lord's Help. Remember That The Lord Will Shape The Back To Bear The Burden Placed Upon It.

I Ask You To Make Institute A Priority.

Times Change, Years Speed By, But Christmas Continues Sacred. It Is Through Giving, Rather Than Getting, That The Spirit Of Christ Enters Our Lives. God Still Speaks. He Prompts. He Guides. He Blesses. He Gives.

Let Us Have The Courage To Defy The Consensus, The Courage To Stand For Principle. Courage, Not Compromise, Brings The Smile Of God’s Approval. Courage Becomes A Living And An Attractive Virtue When It Is Regarded Not Only As A Willingness To Die Manfully, But Also As A Determination To Live Decently. A Moral Coward Is One Who Is Afraid To Do What He Thinks Is Right Because Others Will Disapprove Or Laugh. Remember That All Men Have Their Fears, But Those Who Face Their Fears With Dignity Have Courage As Well.

When Fear Replaces Faith, Remember Prayer.

Because Sexual Intimacy Is So Sacred, The Lord Requires Self-control And Purity Before Marriage, As Well As Full Fidelity After Marriage... Tears Inevitably Follow Transgression. Men, Take Care Not To Make Women Weep, For God Counts Their Tears.

We Learn And Grow And Become Stronger As We Face And Survive The Trials Through Which We Must Pass.

The Past Is Behind, Learn From It. The Future Is Ahead, Prepare For It. The Present Is Here, Live It.

Remember Who You Are And What God Expects You To Become.

Remember Who You Are

As We Move Toward The Future, We Must Not Neglect The Lessons Of The Past. Our Heavenly Father Gave His Son. The Son Of God Gave His Life. We Are Asked By Them To Give Our Lives, As It Were, In Their Divine Service. Will You? Will I? Will We? There Are Lessons To Be Taught, There Are Kind Deeds To Be Done, There Are Souls To Be Saved.

When We Deal In Generalities, We Shall Never Succeed. When We Deal In Specifics, We Shall Rarely Have A Failure. When Performance Is Measured, Performance Improves. When Performance Is Measured And Reported, The Rate Of Performance Accelerates.

This Is Not A Time For Fear, Brethren, But Rather A Time For Faith - A Time For Each Of Us Who Holds The Priesthood To Be His Best Self.

You Have A Heritage Honor It. You Have Posses A Testimony Share It. You Will Face Temptations Withstand It. You Know The Truth Live It.

Avoid Pornography At All Costs!

I Urge You To Hold Fast To Your Standards. I Plead With You Not To Waver.

When God Speaks And We Obey, We Will Always Be Right.

He Who Gives Money Gives Some, He Who Gives Time Gives More, And He Who Gives Of Himself Gives All.

Love Thy Neighbor Is More Than A Divine Truth. It Is A Pattern For Perfection.

To Express Gratitude Is Gracious And Honorable, To Enact Gratitude Is Generous And Noble, But To Live With Gratitude Ever In Our Hearts Is To Touch Heaven.

If You Are Persistent, You Will Succeed

I Like This Thought: Your Mind Is A Cupboard, And You Stock The Shelves. Let Us Make Certain That Our Cupboard Shelves, And Those Of Our Family Members, Are Stocked With The Things Which Will Provide Safety To Our Souls And Enable Us To Return To Our Father In Heaven. Such Shelves Could Well Be Stocked With Gospel Scholarship, Faith, Prayer, Love, Service, Obedience, Example, And Kindness

If We Do Not Have A Deep Foundation Of Faith And A Solid Testimony Of Truth, We May Have Difficulty Withstanding The Harsh Storms And Icy Winds Of Adversity Which Inevitably Come To Each Of Us.

It Has Been Said That The Gate Of History Turns On Small Hinges, And So Do People's Lives. The Choices We Make Determine Our Destiny.

With A Strong Testimony Of The Savior And His Restored Gospel, You Have Limitless Opportunities To Shine.

When We Treat People Merely As They Are, They Will Remain As They Are. When We Treat Them As If They Were What They Should Be, They Will Become What They Should Be.

The Lord’s Purposes Are Often Accomplished As We Pay Heed To The Guidance Of The Spirit. I Believe That The More We Act Upon The Inspiration And Impressions Which Come To Us, The More The Lord Will Entrust To Us His Errands.

There Is A Golden Thread That Runs Through Every Account Of Faith From The Beginning Of The World To The Present Time. Abraham, Noah, The Brother Of Jared, The Prophet Joseph Smith, And Countless Others Wanted To Be Obedient To The Will Of God. They Had Ears That Could Hear, Eyes That Could See, And Hearts That Could Know And Feel. They Never Doubted. They Trusted.

Help Others In Their Race Of Life. Remember That When You Help Another Up A Mountain, You Are A Little Nearer The Top Yourself.

May We Realize How Close To Us He Is Willing To Come, How Far He Is Willing To Go To Help Us And How Much He Loves Us.

Because Of Jesus Christ The World Has Changed, The Divine Atonement Has Been Made, The Price Of Sin Has Been Paid, And The Fearful Spectacle Of Death Yields To The Light Of Truth And The Assurance Of Resurrection. Though The Years Roll By, His Birth, His Ministry, His Legacy Continue To Guide The Destiny Of All Who Follow Him As He So Invitingly Urged.

So Much In Life Depends On Our Attitude. The Way We Choose To See Things And Respond To Others Makes All The Difference. To Do The Best We Can And Then To Choose To Be Happy About Our Circumstances, Whatever They May Be, Can Bring Peace And Contentment. We Can't Direct The Wind, But We Can Adjust The Sails. For Maximum Happiness, Peace, And Contentment, May We Choose A Positive Attitude.

Testimony Bearing Is The Key To Missionary Work

It Is Impossible To Stand Upright When One Plants His Roots In The Shifting Sands Of Popular Opinion And Approval.

May We Be Faithful Followers Of Christ, Examples Of Righteousness, Thus Becoming Lights In The World.

The Future Is In Your Hands, The Outcome Is Up To You.

When We Encounter Challenges And Problems In Our Lives, It Is Often Difficult For Us To Focus On Our Blessings. However, If We Reach Deep Enough And Look Hard Enough, We Will Be Able To Feel And Recognize Just How Much We Have Been Given.

No Force In This World Can Stop The Work Of God.

Without A Goal There Can Be No Real Success.

One Sees A Blatant Disregard For The Precious Souls Of Mankind.

To You Who Are Worthy And Able To Attend The Temple, I Would Admonish You To Go Often. The Temple Is A Place Where We Can Find Peace. There We Receive A Renewed Dedication To The Gospel And A Strengthened Resolve To Keep The Commandments.

May We Give As The Savior Gave. To Give Of Oneself Is A Holy Gift. We Give As A Remembrance Of All The Savior Has Given.

As A Teenage Daughter Hears Her Sweet Mother Plead Unto The Lord That Her Daughter Will Be Inspired In The Selection Of Her Companions, That She Will Prepare Herself For A Temple Marriage, Don't You Believe That Such A Daughter Will Seek To Honor This Humble, Pleading Petition Of Her Mother, Whom She So Dearly Loves?

We Find Real Joy When We Keep The Savior The Focus Of The Season.

I Am Certain That The Lord, Who Notes The Fall Of A Sparrow, Looks With Compassion Upon Those Who Have Been Called Upon To Part, Even Temporarily, From Their Precious Children.

You May Sometimes Be Tempted To Say, ‘will My Influence Make Any Difference? I Am Just One. Will My Service Affect The Work That Dramatically?’ I Testify To You That It Will. You Will Never Be Able To Measure Your Influence For Good.

It Is Not Enough To Want To Make The Effort... It's In The Doing, Not Just The Thinking That We Accomplish Our Goals.

Our Problem Is That We Often Expect Instantaneous Solutions To Such Challenges, Forgetting That Frequently The Heavenly Virtue Of Patience Is Required.

Like The Vital Rudder Of A Ship, We Have Been Provided A Way To Determine The Direction We Travel. The Lighthouse Of The Lord Beckons To All As We Sail The Seas Of Life. Our Home Port Is The Celestial Kingdom Of God. Our Purpose Is To Steer An Undeviating Course In That Direction. A Man Without A Purpose Is Like A Ship Without A Rudder—never Likely To Reach Home Port. To Us Comes The Signal: Chart Your Course, Set Your Sail, Position Your Rudder, And Proceed.

This Will Equally Apply To Every Latter-day Saint. Salvation Is An Individual Operation.

I Read With Keen Interest The Words Of A Bumper Sticker Readily Visible On The Highly Polished Chrome Bumper Of A Car Which Was Weaving In And Out Of The Traffic Stream. The Words Were These: "honk If You Love Jesus." No One Honked. Perhaps Each Was Disturbed By The Thoughtless And Rude Actions Of The Offending Driver. Then, Again, Would Honking Be An Appropriate Manner In Which To Show One's Love For The Son Of God, The Savior Of The World, The Redeemer Of All Mankind? Such Was Not The Pattern Provided By Jesus Of Nazareth.

All Of Us Remember The Home Of Our Childhood. Interestingly, Our Thoughts Do Not Dwell On Whether The House Was Large Or Small, The Neighborhood Fashionable Or Downtrodden. Rather, We Delight In The Experiences We Shared As A Family. The Home Is The Laboratory Of Our Lives, And What We Learn There Largely Determines What We Do When We Leave There.

Finding The Real Joy Of #‎ Christmas Comes Not In The Hurrying And The Scurrying To Get More Done, Nor Is It Found In The Purchasing Of #‎ Gifts . We Find Real Joy When We Make The Savior The Focus Of The Season.

Miracles Are Everywhere To Be Found When The Priesthood Is Understood, Its Power Is Honored And Used Properly, And Faith Is Exerted.

This Is Our One And Only Chance At Mortal Life-here And Now. The Longer We Live, The Greater Is Our Realization That It Is Brief. Opportunities Come, And Then They Are Gone. I Believe That Among The Greatest Lessons We Are To Learn In This Short Sojourn Upon The Earth Are Lessons That Help Us Distinguish Between What Is Important And What Is Not. I Plead With You Not To Let Those Most Important Things Pass You By. As You Plan For That Illusive, Nonexistent Future When You Will Have Time To Do All That You Want To Do. Instead, Find You In The Journey Now.

Happiness Comes From Living The Way The Lord Wants You To Live.

Our Opportunities To Give Of Ourselves Are Indeed Limitless, But They Are Also Perishable. There Are Hearts To Gladden. There Are Kind Words To Say. There Are Gifts To Be Given. There Are Deeds To Be Done. There Are Souls To Be Saved.

It Is Not Enough To Want To Make The Effort And To Say We'll Make The Effort. We Must Actually Make The Effort. It's In The Doing, Not Just The Thinking, That We Accomplish Our Goals. If We Constantly Put Our Goals Off, We Will Never See Them Fulfilled. Someone Put It This Way: Live Only For Tomorrow, And You Will Have A Lot Of Empty Yesterdays Today.

Serving Throughout The World Is A Great Missionary Force Going About Doing Good. Missionaries Teach Truth. They Dispel Darkness. They Spread Joy. They Bring Precious Souls To Christ.

In The Private Sanctuary Of One's Own Conscience Lies That Spirit, That Determination To Cast Off The Old Person And To Measure Up To The Statue Of True Potential.

The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints Sends Forth To You An Earnest Appeal. Open Your Doors To The Missionaries. Open Your Minds To The Words Of God. Open Your Hearts, Even Your Very Souls, To The Sound Of That Still, Small Voice Which Testifies Of Truth.

This Is My Philosophy On All Life, Not Just When It Comes To Love. All The Best Things Are Terrifying, But That's Why They're The Best Things. Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy. You Have To Be Afraid To Want It, Afraid To Lose It, Afraid To Try. If You Feel That, Then You Know You're On To A Winner.

True Love Is A Reflection Of The Savior's Love. In December Of Each Year We Call It The Christmas Spirit.

A Prayerful Life Is The Key To Possessing Gratitude. We Often Take For Granted The People Who Most Deserve Our Gratitude. Let Us Not Wait Until It Is Too Late For Us To Express Our Gratitude. Feeling Gratitude And Not Expressing It Is Like Wrapping A Present And Not Giving It. If I Gratitude Be Numbered Among The Serious Sins, Then Gratitude Takes Its Place Among The Noblest Of Virtues. To Express Gratitude Is Gracious And Honorable, To Enact Gratitude Is Generous And Noble, But To Live With Gratitude Ever In Our Hearts Is To Touch Heaven.

My Earnest Prayer Is That You Will Have The Courage Required To Refrain From Judging Others, The Courage To Be Chaste And Virtuous, And The Courage To Stand Firm For Truth And Righteousness. As You Do So, You Will Be ‘an Example Of The Believers’ (1 Timothy 4:12), And Your Life Will Be Filled With Love And Peace And Joy.

I Know That God Loves Us. He Allows Us To Exercise Our Moral Agency Even When We Misuse It. He Permits Us To Make Our Own Decisions. Christ Cannot Help Us If We Do Not Trust Him; He Cannot Teach Us If We Do Not Serve Him. He Will Not Force Us To Do What's Right, But He Will Show Us The Way Only When We Decide To Serve Him. Certainly, For Us To Serve In His Kingdom, Christ Requires That We Experience A Change Of Thought And Attitude.

Prayer Is The Passport To Peace.

Your Future Depends On Your Faith.

When You’re On The Lord’s Errand, You’re Entitled To The Lord’s Blessings.

Have Times Really Changed? Don't We Today, As Always, Love Our Children And Want Them To Live Righteously? Don't We Today, As Always, Need God's Divine Protecting Care? Don't We Today, As Always, Continue To Be At His Mercy And In His Debt For The Very Life He Has Given Us?

Look To The Lighthouse Of The Lord. There Is No Fog So Dense, No Night So Dark, No Gale So Strong, No Mariner So Lost But What Its Beacon Light Can Rescue.

One, Two, Three...let's Go Shopping!

Choose A Field That Will Supply Sufficient Remuneration To Provide Adequately For Your Companion And Your Children. I Bear Testimony That These Criteria Are Very Important In Choosing Your Life's Work.

We Learn To Pray By Praying. One Can Devote Countless Hours To Examining The Experiences Of Others, But Nothing Penetrates The Human Heart As Does A Personal Fervent Prayer And Its Heaven Sent Response.

Come From Your Wandering Way, Weary Travelers. Come To The Gospel Of Jesus Christ. Come To That Heavenly Haven Called Home. Here You Will Discover The Truth. Here You Will Learn The Reality Of The Godhead, The Comfort Of The Plan Of Salvation, The Sanctity Of The Marriage Covenant, The Power Of Personal Prayer. Come Home.

Learn From The Past, Prepare For The Future, Live In The Present.

The Battle For Self-discipline May Leave You A Bit Bruised And Battered But Always A Better Person.

Stand For Right, Even If You Stand Alone.

As We Seek Christ, As We Find Him, As We Follow Him, We Shall Have The Christmas Spirit, Not For One Fleeting Day Each Year, But As A Companion Always.

The Goal Of Gospel Teaching... Is Not To 'pour Information' Into The Minds Of Class Members... The Aim Is To Inspire The Individual To Think About, Feel About, And Then Do Something About Living Gospel Principles.

Anxiously You Ask, 'is There A Way To Safety? Can Someone Guide Me? Is There An Escape From Threatened Destruction?' The Answer Is A Resounding Yes! I Counsel You: Look To The Lighthouse Of The Lord. There Is No Fog So Dense, No Night So Dark, No Gale So Strong, No Mariner So Lost But What Its Beacon Light Can Rescue. It Beckons Through The Storms Of Life. It Calls, 'this Way To Safety; This Way To Home.

Through Humble Prayer, Diligent Preparation, And Faithful Service, We Can Succeed In Our Sacred Callings.

I Hope That You Will Learn To Take Responsibility For Your Decisions. Don't Take Counsel Of Your Fears.

Taking Responsibility

By Choosing Our Path, We Choose Our Destination.

Perhaps The Surest Test Of An Individual's Integrity Is His Refusal To Do Or Say Anything That Would Damage His Self-respect.

Pray Always, And Be Believing, And All Things Shall Work Together For Your Good.

Working Together

Home Should Be A Haven Of Love. Honor, Courtesy, And Respect Symbolize Love And Characterize The Righteous Family.

Times Change; Years Speed By; But Christmas Continues Sacred.

Think To Thank. In These Three Words Are The Finest Capsule Course For A Happy Marriage, Formula For Enduring Friendship, And A Pattern For Personal Happiness.

Can We Somehow Muster The Courage And Steadfastness Of Purpose That Characterized The Pioneers Of A Former Generation? Can You And I, In Actual Fact, Be Pioneers [today]?

If Any Has Stumbled In His Journey, There Is A Way Back. The Process Is Called Repentance. Our Savior Died To Provide You And Me That Blessed Gift. Though The Path Is Difficult, The Promise Is Real: 'though Your Sins Be As Scarlet, They Shall Be As White As Snow' (isaiah 1:18).

Family Prayer Is The Greatest Deterrent To Sin, And Hence The Most Beneficent Provider Of Joy And Happiness. The Old Saying Is Yet True: 'the Family That Prays Together Stays Together.'

I Have Found That, Rather Than Dwelling On The Negative, If We Will Take A Step Back And Consider The Blessings In Our Lives, Including Seemingly Small, Sometimes Overlooked Blessings, We Can Find Greater Happiness.

Work Will Win When Wishy Washy Wishing Won T.

We Need Learn What We Need To Learn, Know What We Need To Know, And Do What We Need To Do.

This Is A Wonderful Time To Be Living Here On Earth. Our Opportunities Are Limitless. While There Are Some Things Wrong In The World Today, There Are Many Things Right, Such As Teachers Who Teach, Ministers Who Minister, Marriages That Make It, Parents Who Sacrifice, And Friends Who Help. "we Can Lift Ourselves, And Others As Well, When We Refuse To Remain In The Realm Of Negative Thought And Cultivate Within Our Hearts An Attitude Of Gratitude. If Ingratitude Be Numbered Among The Serious Sins, Then Gratitude Takes Its Place Among The Noblest Of Virtues."

God Left The World Unfinished For Man To Work His Skill Upon. He Left The Electricity In The Cloud, The Oil In The Earth. He Left The Rivers Unbridged And The Forests Unfelled And The Cities Unbuilt. God Gives To Man The Challenge Of Raw Materials, Not The Ease Of Finished Things. He Leaves The Pictures Unpainted And The Music Unsung And The Problems Unsolved, That Man Might Know The Joys And Glories Of Creation.

Heavenly Father Has A Picture Of You On His Dresser. He Loves You And Will Help You. Call Upon Him.

We Become So Caught Up In The Busyness Of Our Lives. Were We To Step Back, However, And Take A Good Look At What We’re Doing, We May Find That We Have Immersed Ourselves In The “thick Of Thin Things.” In Other Words, Too Often We Spend Most Of Our Time Taking Care Of The Things Which Do Not Really Matter Much At All In The Grand Scheme Of Things, Neglecting Those More Important Causes.

We Can’t Direct The Wind, But We Can Adjust The Sails. For Maximum Happiness, Peace, And Contentment, May We Choose A Positive Attitude.

You Can't Be Right By Doing Wrong; You Can't Be Wrong By Doing Right.

We Need To Learn How To Separate Need From Greed.

At Times Some May Think That No One Cares--but Someone Always Cares! Your Heavenly Father Will Not Leave You To Struggle Alone, But Stands Ever Ready To Help.

Let Us Not Demeanor Or Belittle. Rather, Let Us Be Compassionate And Encouraging,. We Must Be Careful That We Do Not Destroy Another Person's Confidence Through Careless Words. Or Actions.

Because He Came To Earth, We Have A Perfect Example To Follow. As We Strive To Become More Like Him, We Will Have Joy And Happiness In Our Lives And Peace Each Day Of The Year. It Is His Example Which, If Followed, Stirs Within Us More Kindness And Love, More Respect And Concern For Others.

Concern For Others

Permissiveness, Immorality, Pornography, Drugs, The Power Of Peer Pressure-all These And More-cause Many To Be Tossed About On A Sea Of Sin And Crushed On The Jagged Reefs Of Lost Opportunities, Forfeited Blessings, And Shattered Dreams.

Opportunities Are Everywhere. Needed Are Eyes To See The Pitiable Plight And Ears To Hear The Silent Pleadings Of A Broken Heart.

We Forget How The Greeks And Romans Prevailed Magnificently In A Barbaric World And How That Triumph Ended-how A Slackness And Softness Finally Overcame Them To Their Ruin. In The End, More Than They Wanted Freedom, They Wanted Security And A Comfortable Life; And They Lost All-comfort And Security And Freedom.

Security And Freedom

My Dear Sisters, Do Not Pray For Tasks Equal To Your Abilities, But Pray For Abilities Equal To Your Tasks. Then The Performance Of Your Tasks Will Be No Miracle, But You Will Be The Miracle.

Some Are Young People Who Don't Know Who They Are, What They Can Be Or Even Want To Be. They Are Afraid, But They Don't Know Of What. They Are Angry, But They Don't Know At Whom. They Are Rejected And They Don't Know Why. All They Want Is To Be Somebody.

We Cannot Truly Love God If We Do Not Love Our Fellow Travelers On This Mortal Journey.

The Lord Is In The Details Of Our Lives.

None Of Us Will Honor Our Heavenly Father And Our Savior More Than By Serving As A Devoted, Compassionate Missionary, "for Them That Honour Me I Will Honour."

I Acknowledge That I Do Not Understand The Processes Of Creation, But I Accept The Fact Of It.

Christmas Is The Spirit Of Giving Without A Thought Of Getting.

We've All Felt Anger. It Can Come When Things Don't Turn Out The Way We Want. It Might Be A Reaction To Something Which Is Said Of Us Or To Us. We May Experience It When People Don't Behave The Way We Want Them To Behave. Perhaps It Comes When We Have To Wait For Something Longer Than We Expected. We Might Feel Angry When Others Can't See Things From Our Perspective. There Seem To Be Countless Possible Reasons For Anger….if We Desire To Have A Proper Spirit With Us At All Times, We Must Choose To Refrain From Becoming Angry.

Ours Is The Responsibility To Show Our Gratitude By The Actions Of Our Lives.

Let Us Not Demean Or Belittle. Rather, Let Us Be Compassionate And Encouraging.

Difficulties Allow Us To Change For The Better.

Change For The Better

Forgiveness Should Go Hand-in-hand With Love.

As You Walk Through Life, Always Walk Toward The Light, And The Shadows Of Life Will Fall Behind You.

To Be Angry Is To Yield To The Influence Of Satan. No One Can Make Us Angry. It Is Our Choice. If We Desire To Have A Proper Spirit With Us At All Times, We Must Choose To Refrain From Becoming Angry. I Testify That Such Is Possible.

The Needs Of Others Are Ever Present, And Each Of Us Can Do Something To Help Someone.... Unless We Lose Ourselves In Service To Others, There Is Little Purpose To Our Own Lives.

Whatever Our Calling, Regardless Of Our Fears Or Anxieties, Let Us Pray And Then Go And Do.

Glance Backward, Look Heavenward, Reach Outward, Press Onward

Life Is Perfect For None Of Us. Rather Than Being Judgmental And Critical Of Each Other, May We Have The Pure Love Of Christ For Our Fellow Travelers In This Journey Through Life.

Several Years Ago My Dear Wife Went To The Hospital. She Left A Note Behind For The Children: "dear Children, Do Not Let Daddy Touch The Microwave" - Followed By A Comma, "or The Stove, Or The Dishwasher, Or The Dryer." I'm Embarrassed To Add Any More To That List.

The Road Back To God Is Not Nearly So Steep Nor Is It So Difficult As Some Would Have Us Believe.

Life By The Yard Is Hard; By The Inch It's A Cinch. Each Of Us Can Be True For Just One Day--and Then One More And Then One More After That--until We've Lived A Lifetime Guided By The Spirit, A Lifetime Close To The Lord, A Lifetime Of Good Deeds And Righteousness.

You Will Never Be Able To Measure Your Influence For Good.

The Face Of Sin Today Often Wears The Mask Of Tolerance. Do Not Be Deceived; Behind That Facade Is Heartache, Unhappiness And Pain. .. You Be The One To Make A Stand For Right, Even If You Stand Alone. Have The Moral Courage To Be A Light For Others To Follow.

With The Birth Of The Babe In Bethlehem, There Emerged A Great Endowment—a Power Stronger Than Weapons, A Wealth More Lasting Than The Coins Of Caesar. This Child Was To Become The King Of Kings And Lord Of Lords, The Promised Messiah—jesus Christ, The Son Of God.

Each Heartfelt Prayer, Each Church Meeting Attended, Each Worthy Friend, Each Righteous Decision, Each Act Of Service Perfomed All Precede That Goal Of Eternal Life.

Life By The Yard Is Hard; By The Inch It's A Cinch. Decisions Determine Destiny.

Rather Than Dwelling On The Past, We Should Make The Most Of Today, Of The Here And Now, Doing All We Can To Provide Pleasant Memories For The Future…if You Are Still In The Process Of Raising Children Be Aware That The Tiny Fingerprints That Show Up On Almost Every Newly Cleaned Surface, The Toys Scattered About The House, The Piles And Piles Of Laundry To Be Tackled, Will Disappear All Too Soon, And That You Will, To Your Surprise, Miss Them, Profoundly.

All That Occurs Within The Walls Of The Temple Is Uplifting And Enobling.

I Express My Profound Thanks To A Loving Heavenly Father Who Gives To You, To Me, And To All Who Sincerely Seek, The Knowledge That Death Is Not The End, That His Son--even Our Savior Jesus Christ--died That We Might Live. Temples Of The Lord Dot The Lands Of Many Countries. Sacred Covenants Are Made. Celestial Glory Awaits The Obedient. Families Can Be Together Forever.

Perhaps There Has Never Been A Time When We Had Greater Need To Pray And To Teach Our Family Members To Pray. Prayer Is A Defense Against Temptation. It Is Through Earnest And Heartfelt Prayer That We Can Receive The Needed Blessings And The Support Required To Make Our Way In This Sometimes Difficult And Challenging Journey We Call Mortality.

The Future Will Present Insurmountable Problems- Only When We Consider Them Insurmountable.

A Friend Is More Concerned About Helping People Than Getting Credit. A Friend Cares. A Friend Loves. A Friend Listens. And A Friend Reaches Out.

Those Who Grieve Frequently Find Themselves Alone. Missed Is The Laughter Of Children, The Commotion Of Teenagers, And The Tender, Loving Concern Of A Departed Companion. The Clock Ticks More Loudly, Time Passes More Slowly, And Four Walls Can Indeed A Prison Make. I Extol Those Who, With Loving Care And Compassionate Concern, Feed The Hungry, Clothe The Naked, And House The Homeless. He Who Notes The Sparrow's Fall Will Not Be Unmindful Of Such Service.

Charity Is Having Patience With Someone Who Has Let Us Down. It Is Resisting The Impulse To Become Offended Easily. It Is Accepting Weaknesses And Shortcomings. It Is Accepting People As They Truly Are. It Is Looking Beyond Physical Appearances To Attributes That Will Not Dim Through Time. It Is Resisting The Impulse To Categorize Others.

Any Excuse, No Matter How Valid, Only Weakens The Character.

The Sweetest Feeling In Mortality Is To Realize That God, Our Heavenly Father, Knows Each One Of Us And Generously Permits Us To See And To Share His Divine Power To Save.

Choose Your Friends With Caution. Plan Your Future With Purpose. Frame Your Life With Faith.

Fill Your Mind With Truth; Fill Your Heart With Love; Fill Your Life With Service.

As We Attend The Temple, There Can Come To Us A Dimension Of Spirituality And A Feeling Of Peace Which Will Transcend Any Other Feeling Which Could Come Into The Human Heart. We Will Grasp The True Meaning Of The Words Of The Savior When He Said: “peace I Leave With You, My Peace I Give Unto You. … Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled, Neither Let It Be Afraid.”

There Are Hearts To Gladden... Kind Words To Say... Gifts To Be Given... Deeds To Be Done.

As We Follow That Man Of Galilee-even The Lord Jesus Christ-our Personal Influence Will Be Felt For Good Wherever We Are, Whatever Our Callings.

As We Emulate His Example, We Will Bless Lives, Including Our Own.

God And Mother, Partners In Creation, In Love, In Sacrifice, In Service, Are As One.

Work Without Vision Is Drudgery. Vision Without Work Is Dreaming. Work Coupled With Vision Is Destiny.

Missionary Service Is A Priesthood Duty.

There Is No Tomorrow To Remember If We Don’t Do Something Today, And To Live Most Fully Today, We Must Do That Which Is Of Greatest Importance. Let Us Not Procrastinate Those Things Which Matter Most.

"president Monson, I May Never See The Prophet. I May Never Hear The Prophet. But President, Far Better, Now That I Am A Member Of This Church, I Can Obey The Prophet."

Men Take Care Not To Make Women Weep, For God Counts Their Tears.

It Is Almost Inevitable That Our Faith Will Be Challenged. We May At Times Find Ourselves Surrounded By Others And Yet Standing In The Minority Or Even Standing Alone Concerning What Is Acceptable And What Is Not. Do We Have The Moral Courage To Stand Firm For Our Beliefs, Even If By So Doing We Must Stand Alone?

The Passage Of Time Has Not Altered The Capacity Of The Redeemer To Change Men’s Lives. As He Said To The Dead Lazarus, So He Says To You And Me: “come Forth.” Come Forth From The Despair Of Doubt. Come Forth From The Sorrow Of Sin. Come Forth From The Death Of Disbelief. Come Forth To A Newness Of Life. Come Forth.

Through Tears And Trials, Through Fears And Sorrows, Through The Heartache And Loneliness Of Losing Loved Ones, There Is Assurance That Life Is Everlasting. Our Lord And Savior Is The Living Witness That Such Is So.

Losing A Loved One

Though We May Not Necessarily Forfeit Our Lives In Service To Our God, We Can Certainly Demonstrate Our Love For Him By How Well We Serve Him.

Man Has Made Remarkable Strides In Conquering Outer Space, But How Futile Have Been His Efforts In Conquering Inner Space- The Space In Our Hearts And Minds Of Men.

None Within The Sound Of My Voice Should Be In Any Doubt Concerning What Is Moral And What Is Not, Nor Should Any Be In Doubt About What Is Expected Of Us ... We Have Been And Continue To Be Taught God's Laws. Despite What You May See Or Hear Elsewhere, These Laws Are Unchanging.

Self-discipline Is A Rigorous Process At Best; Too Many Of Us Want It To Be Effortless And Painless.

Not A Day Has Gone By That I Have Not Communicated With My Father In Heaven Through Prayer. It Is A Relationship I Cherish-one I Would Literally Be Lost Without. If You Do Not Now Have Such A Relationship With Your Father In Heaven, I Urge You To Work Toward That Goal. As You Do So, You Will Be Entitled To His Inspiration And Guidance In Your Life.

We Are Surrounded By Those In Need Of Our Attention, Our Encouragement, Our Support, Our Comfort, Our Kindness... We Are The Lord’s Hands Here Upon The Earth, With The Mandate To Serve And To Lift His Children. He Is Dependent Upon Each Of Us

Our Lives Will Depend Upon The Decisions Which We Make, For Decisions Determine Destiny.

Do We Have A Guide To Help Us Choose The Right And Avoid Dangerous Detours? I Have Tried To Pattern My Life After The Master. Whenever I Have A Difficult Decision To Make, I Have Looked At That Picture And Asked Myself, "what Would He Do?" Then I Try To Do It. We Can Never Go Wrong When We Choose To Follow The Savior.

Each Of Us Can Be A Leader. We Need To Remember That The Mantle Of Leadership Is Not The Cloak Of Comfort, But The Robe Of Responsibility. Perhaps Our Service Is To Youth. If So, I Caution: 'youth Needs Fewer Critics And More Models.' One Hundred Years From Now It Will Not Matter What Kind Of A Car We Drove, What Kind Of A House We Lived In, How Much We Had In The Bank Account, Nor What Our Clothes Looked Like. But The World May Be A Little Better Because We Were Important In The Life Of A Boy Or A Girl.

By Learning Of Him, By Believing In Him, By Following Him, There Is The Capacity To Become Like Him.

Lessons Learned In The Home, Last The Longest.

The Way To Be With God In Every Season Is To Strive To Be Near Him Every Week And Each Day.

A Man Without A Purpose Is Like A Ship Without A Rudder - Never Likely To Reach Home Port. To Us Comes The Signal: Chart Your Course, Set Your Sail, Position Your Rudder, And Proceed.

Youth Need Less Critics And More Models.

Choose Good Friends. Friends Help To Determine Your Future. You Will Tend To Be Like Them And To Be Found Where They Choose To Go. Remember, The Path We Follow In This Life Leads To The Path We Follow In The Next.

This Sabbath Day Has Been Designated As A Day Of Thanksgiving, A Day Of Gratitude-even A Day Of Prayer. We Pause, We Ponder, We Reflect On The Blessings An All-wise Heavenly Father Has Bestowed Upon Us, His Children, By Bringing Peace To The Battlefield Of War And Comfort To The Hearts Of So Many In This Wonderful World Where We Live And Which We Call Home

Have An Attitude Of Gratitude.

Let Us Not Only Remember The Past And Its Required Sacrifice, Let Us Also Remember That We Are Responsible To Build A Legacy For The Generations Which Follow Us.

Sometimes We Let Our Thoughts Of Tomorrow Take Up Too Much Of Today. Daydreaming Of The Past And Longing For The Future May Provide Comfort But Will Not Take The Place Of Living In The Present. This Is The Day Of Our Opportunity, And We Must Grasp It

The Most Constant Thing Is Change.

Christ Instructs Us To Stand Up Bravely For Our Beliefs... He Asks Us To Let Our Lights Shine.

To Live With Gratitude Ever In Our Hearts Is To Touch Heaven.

You Can Share Your Testimony In Many Ways, By The Words You Speak, By The Example You Set, By The Manner In Which You Live Your Life.

Words You Speak

Be Of Good Cheer. The Future Is As Bright As Your Faith.

We Must Develop The Capacity To See Men Not As They Are At Present But As They May Become.

Ours Is The Responsibility To Keep Our Light Bright For Others To See And Follow.

We Continue To Build Temples. We Desire That As Many Members As Possible Have An Opportunity To Attend The Temple Without Having To Travel Inordinate Distances.

When Faith Replaces Doubt, When Selfless Service Eliminates Selfish Striving, The Power Of God Brings To Pass His Purposes.

There Is No Better Time Than Now, This Very Christmas Season, For All Of Us To Rededicate Ourselves To The Principles Taught By Jesus Christ. It Is The Time To Love The Lord, Our God, With All Our Heart – And Our Neighbors As Ourselves. It Is Well To Remember That He Who Gives Money Gives Much; He Who Gives Time Gives More; But He Who Gives Of Himself Gives All.

As I Contemplate All That You Face In The World Today, One Word Comes To My Mind. It Describes An Attribute Needed By All Of Us But One Which You-at This Time Of Your Life And In This World-will Need Particularly. That Attribute Is Courage.

Missionary Work Is An Identifying Feature Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints. Always Has It Been; Ever Shall It Be.

No Temptation, No Pressure, No Enticing Can Overcome Us Unless We Allow Such. If We Make The Wrong Choice, We Have No One To Blame But Ourselves.

To You Who Are Parents, I Say, Show Love To Your Children. You Know You Love Them, But Make Certain They Know It As Well. They Are So Precious. Let Them Know. Call Upon Our Heavenly Father For Help As You Care For Their Needs Each Day And As You Deal With The Challenges Which Inevitably Come With Parenthood. You Need More Than Your Own Wisdom In Rearing Them.

May We Muster Courage At The Crossroads, Courage For The Conflicts, Courage To Say, "no," Courage To Say, "yes," For Courage Counts.

In The Performance Of Our Responsibilities, I Have Learned That When We Heed A Silent Prompting And Act Upon It Without Delay, Our Heavenly Father Will Guide Our Footsteps And Bless Our Lives And The Lives Of Others. I Know Of No Experience More Sweet Or Feelings More Precious Than To Heed A Prompting, Only To Discover That The Lord Has Answered Another's Prayer Through You.

From The Book Of Mormon Come Other Precious Promises, Including Promises Of Peace, Freedom, And Blessings If We 'will But Serve The God Of The Land, Who Is Jesus Christ' (ether 2:12).

In The Search For Our Best Selves, Several Questions Will Guide Our Thinking: Am I What I Want To Be? Am I Closer To The Savior Today Than I Was Yesterday? Will I Be Closer Yet Tomorrow? Do I Have The Courage To Change For The Better?

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